Suspension of road vehicles



Feb. 23, 1937. w s, w c ET AL 2,071,577

SUSPENSION OF ROAD VEHICLES Filed May 15, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 1937- w. s. RENWICK ET AL SUSPENSION OF RQAD VEHICLES Filed May 15,1936

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SUSPENSION OF ROAD VEHICLES Filed May 15, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 23, 1937. s, RENWlCK ET AL 2,051,577 I SUSPENSION OF ROAD VEHICLES Filed May 15, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig. 5.

m VE/VTORS Q"; William S. lienwz'cls M55592? 6 EMUF Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,071,577 SUSPENSION OF ROAD VEHICLES William. Somerville Renwick and Albert Sydney Enever, Abingdon-on-Thames, England, assignors to The M. G. Car CompanyLimited, Abingdon-on-Thames, England Application May 15, 1936, Serial No. 79,964, In Great Britain November 25, 1935 3 Claims. (01. 267-19) This invention relates to the suspension sysand towards the center line of the chassis as the tems of road-vehicles, and particularly to the suswheel falls, and this mode of wheel movement pension between the non-steerable road-wheels producing lateral tire scrub is inherently resistant and the frame of a motor-vehicle body or chassis,. to rolling forces. It is hereinafter referred to as 5 Our main object is to provide an improved susthe second mode of wheel movement. 5 pension system which will be at the same time In a preferred method of carrying out the ineconomical of tires during normal pitching movevention, the road-wheels are independently conments of the chassis on its springs on a straight nected to the chassis-frame, and the independent road and inherently resistant to rolling of the systems for the two wheels are connected to one vehicle during cornering, another, in such manner as to provide the two 10 It is well known that many simple independent Said modes of wheel movements. The second suspension systems having only one mode of wheel mode of wheel movement is effected about a P movement can be designed which will have no, determined axis, for each W e W c is o or practically no, lateral tire scrub-provided that tudinal of the chassis-frame. The first mode of they have negligible inherent resistance to rollwheel movement may be efiected by means of the ing. Well known examples of such systems are well-known parallel linkage or trapezium-layout the Iancia and the Doubonnet, where the wheel mechanism, or, alternatively, it may take place is maintained in substantially the same plane relabout a transverse axis. While the first mode atively to the chassis frame during its up-andof wheel movement occurs the means intercondown movements. It is also well known that sims i g t e tWO independent Systems m v but ple independent suspension systems can be desuch means is stationary While the Second mode 20 signed which have a high inherent resistance to of wheel movement occurs. rolling, provided that their normal mode of move- In the accompany wi s:- ment entails a considerable amount of lateral F gu e 1 is a Perspective View Of the driven tire scrub, the wheel tilting relatively to the chasroad-wheels of a motor-vehicle chassis of which sis-frame in the course of its up-and-down movethe frame is suspended according to the invenments. tion;

The present invention couples together negli- Figure 2 is adiagrammatic elevation, to alarger gible lateral tire scrub at times when roll resist- Scale, of the right-hand suspension, indicating ance is not necessary and great roll resistance at the positions of the different elements according times when lateral tire scrub is of minor importo the different modes of movement, the parts of 36 tance. the elements between the chain lines being omit- According to the main feature of the invention, ted for the sake of convenience; a pair of road wheels on opposite sides have their Figure 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding hub-assemblies so connected to the chassisto Figure 1 but illustrating a slight modification; frame and with each other that they may rise and Figure 4 is a diagram part-Sectional p 35 fall with substantially no lateral tire scrub proview of an entirely different form of suspension vided that they rise and fall simultaneously by embodying the principles of the invention; and

a substantially equal amounts. (This method of Figure 5 is a diagrammatic fragmentary perrise and fall, relative to the chassis-frame of the spective view showing a modified form of the 4 vehicle, is that which obtains in all ordinary suspension of Figure 4. 40 pitching of the vehicle on a straight road, and Like numerals indicate like parts throughout is also a component to a greater or less extent of the drawings as far as possible. most other movements of the Wheels relative to When applying the invention to the driven the chassis-frame. It is therefore, the most imroad-wheels II, II of a motor-vehicle, as illusportant movement of the wheels relative to the trated by Figures 1 and 3, these are preferably 45 chassis-frame. It is hereinafter referred to as doubly linked substantially in the manner dethe first mode of wheel movement.) Furtherscribed in the specification accompanying U. S. A. more, either of the said road wheels can escape application No. 57,034, i. e., so that the lower from this first mode of wheel movement when parts of the wheels will rise or fall in substantialinequalities of the road surface make it desirable 1y parallel planes and the wheels will thus move so that one wheel should rise or fall independently with substantially no lateral tire scrub between of or more than the other relatively to the chassisthe wheel tires and the road when both wheels frame, and in this case the point of contact beare simultaneously rising or falling similar tween the tire and road must move away from amounts. It is not essential that the upper and the center line of the chassis as the wheel rises, lower links should be parallel, and equal in length, 55

to the propeller shaft, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings of that said specification: they may alternatively form a trapezium layout, as shown in Figure 2 thereof.

In the arrangement of Figure 1 hereof the wheel brackets I2 of the hub-assemblies" are hinged at I3, I3 to the outer ends of upper and lower wishbone links I4, I5 pivotally mounted for movement about axes I6, Il, respectively, which are motionless relatively to the chassis-frame Ila when the latter is rising or falling vertically between level wheels, i. e., during the first mode of wheel movement. The lower links are shackled as shown at I So to the arms I8, I8 fast on the torsion bars I9, I9 the remote ends of which are rigidly held to the chassis-frame Ila, as indicated at I9a. 20, 20a represent universal joints for the ends of each propeller shaft 2I, as described in the specification above referred to, the outer joints 2!! being constrained to swing in substantially true arcs about the centers of the inner joints 20a during the first mode of wheel movement.

In the present instance, however, the linkage systems of the two roads wheels II, II are cross connected. Thus, the upper link I4 of the righthand road wheel is formed with a downwardlyextending crank arm 22 connected by the trans verse bar 23 to an upwardly-extending crank arm 24 formed on the bottom link I5 of the other road wheel, and the ratio of the length of the arm 22 to the length of the link I4 equals the ratio of the length of the arm 24 to the length of the link I5, such that simultaneous similar rises of the wheels II relatively to the chassis-frame Ila (according to the first mode of wheel movement) shift the bar 23 to the right, whilst simultaneous similar falls will shift the bar 23 to the left (also according to the first mode of wheel movement). If the pivotal axes I6, ll of the links on the chassis-frame were permanently fixed, independent movement of the wheels I I would be prevented. These axes are not fixed, however, but are formed in rocking levers 25, 25 pivotally mounted at 26 upon the chassis-frame Ila. It is preferable, though not essential, that the pivotal axes 26 and the pivotal axes of the ends of the bar 24 should be collinear, when the chassis-frame is normally loaded, as is actually illustrated in the perspective view of Figure 1. In these conditions independent rise or fall of one wheel II relatively to the chassis-frame Ila causes a rocking of the associated rocking lever 25 about the longitudinal axis 26 and introduces lateral tire scrub, this movement being the second mode of movement which, as is well known, is highly resistant to the forces which tend to produce rolling.

The positions of the various members during the different modes of wheel movement will be easily understood from a reference to Figure 2, where the full lines represent the positions of the members when the motor-vehicle is in the normally-loaded position. d represents the point of contact of the wheel II with the ground, 21 the wheel axis, I2 the wheel bracket, I4 and I5 the upper and lower links, I6 and Il their inner pivotal axes, respectively, 26 the pivotal axis of the rocking lever 25, m the pivotal axis of the crank arm 22 with the transverse bar 23, n, the pivots of the shackle I8a, I8 the crank arm, and p the axis of the torsion bar I9. The same letters and numerals followed by the suflix I refer to the same parts when the wheel II has risen, say, 2.5 centimeters according to the first mode of wheel movement, the positions of the members in this case being also indicated by single-dot lines. Those letters and numerals with the sufiix 2 refer to the same members when the wheel II has risen the same distance according to the second mode of wheel movement, the positions of the members in this case being indicated by double-dot lines. Substantially the same stress is applied to the torsion spring I9 by both the first and second modes of wheel movement, it should be noted.

Those letters and numbers with the sufiix 3 refer to the same members under unwanted movements according to a third mode of wheel movement, their positions then being indicated by the treble-dot lines, as when, for example, a wheel II meets a laterally-inclined surface, the bottom of the wheel being momentarily forced outwardly. It will be observed that, in the case of this third mode of wheel movement, a greater twist has been applied to the torsion spring I9, meaning that these unwanted movements are being resisted to a greater extent than the other movements, and the wheel I I will be restored to its usual vertical position as soon as the applied side thrust is removed. This third mode of wheel movement must apply to both wheels II simultaneously-i. e., the bottoms of both wheels II will be forced out, or in, together.

In the modification shown by Figure 3 the spring associated with each wheel is a laminated leaf spring 21 the root of which is rigidly carried by the chassis frame Ila, as indicated at 28, and the free end of which is connected by a shackle 29 with one of the wishbones, the lower one I being thus illustrated. One advantage of this modification is that it is possible in some cases by appropriate arrangement of the angle between the wishbone I 5 and the shackle 29 to resist the third mode of wheel movement referred to above.

In the arrangement shown by Figure 4 each of the road-wheels II is supported by a horizontal forwardly-extending arm 30 fast on a torsionallyrigid shaft portion 3I, these shaft portions being connected by universal joints 32, 32 with a torsionally-rigid shaft 33 journalled at 34, 34 in what is shown as a suspension box 35, this being rigid with the chassis-frame Ila of which it forms a part. Fast on the shaft 34 is an arm 36 the upper face of which engages a coil spring 36a interposed below a bracket or other 'part rigid with the chassis-frame. This spring resists the movement of the wheels II relatively to the chassis-frame according to the first mode of wheel movement whilst the shaft 33 is turning about a transverse axis in the journal bearings 34.

In each case, however, the shaft portion 3I is also journalled at 37, 31 in the swinging bracket 38 fast on the shaft 39 journalled at 40, 40 for movement about a longitudinal axis 26 in the spring box 35. Fast on the shaft 39 is the arm M the underface of which engages a coil spring 4Ia. Movement of either road-wheel II according to the second mode of wheel movement takes place against the spring 4Ia beneath the associated arm 4I whilst the shaft 39 is turning about the longitudinal axis 26. The center of the universal joint 32 is collinear with the axis of the shaft 39. The center of the inner universal joint 20 may also be collinear therewith though this is not essential.

The modification shown by Figure 5 differs mainly in that the coil springs 36a, 4Ia of Fig-- ure 4 are replaced by leaf springs. Thus, in this case the common shaft 33 is fast with the end of the longitudinally-extending leaf spring 42 having its free end shackled at 43 on the chassisframe Ila, this spring being flexed when the first mode of wheel movement occurs. The swinging bracket 38, which in this case is shown as a wishbone with a central limb 44 providing the journal bearings 31 for the associated shaft portion 3|, is hinged at 45, 45 on the chassis-frame Ila for movement about the longitudinal axis 28 according to the second mode of wheel movement, the spring in this case being the adjacent end of the common leaf spring 46 connected by the shackle I! with the outer end of the swinging bracket 38.

Thus, in all the above constructions we provide for different modes of wheel movement, one in which lateral tire scrub is negligible and another where there is material lateral tire scrub but which is inherently resistant to rolling. In this way substantially no lateral tire scrub occurs during normal operation, and rolling during cornering is inherently resisted.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A road-vehicle having a chassis-frame and road-wheels on opposite sides thereof, suspension means independently connecting the chassisframe to the hub-assemblies of the road-wheels, each of said suspension means including a rocking lever mounted on the chassis-frame and upper and lower links interconnecting the rocking lever and the associated hub-assembly, and means cross-connecting a link of one of said suspension means with a link of the other such that the rocking levers provide stationary pivotal axes for the links when both wheels rise or fall together substantially equal amounts relatively to the chassis-frame, and such that either of the rocking levers can turn about its mounting when the associated wheel rises or falls independently of or more than the other relatively to the chassisframe.

2. A road-vehicle having a chassis-frame and road-wheels on opposite sides thereof, suspension means independently connecting the chassisframe to the hub-assemblies of the road-wheels, each of said suspension means including a lever mounted for rocking on the chassis-frame about a longitudinal axis and upper and lower links interconnecting the rocking lever and the associated hub-assembly, and means cross-connecting a link of one of said suspension means with a link of the other; such that the rocking levers provide substantially stationary pivotal axes for the links when both wheels rise or fall together substantially equal amounts relatively to the chassis-frame, such movements occurring with substantially no lateral tire scrub, while said cross-connecting means moves, and such that either of the rocking levers can turnabout its mounting when the associated wheel rises or falls independently of or more than the other relatively to the chassis-frame, such movement being one which introduces lateral tire scrub but which is inherently resistant to rolling forces, while said cross-connecting means remains stationary.

3. A road-vehicle having a chassis-frame and road-wheels on opposite sides thereof, and independent suspension means connecting the chit"- sis-frame to. the hub-assemblies of the roadwheels, each of said suspension means including a rocking lever mounted on the chassis-frame and upper and lower links interconnecting the rocking lever and the associated hub-assembly, one of the links associated with one wheel having a downwardly-extending arm and one of the links associated with the other wheel having an upwardly-extending arm, and an inextenslble rod interconnecting said arms; such that the rocking levers provide stationary pivotal axes for the links when both wheels rise or fall together substan: tially equal amounts relatively to the chassisi'rame, such movement occurring with substantially no lateral tire scrub, and such that either of the rocking levers can turn about its mounting when the associated wheel rises or falls independently of or more than the other relatively to the chassis frame, such movement being one which introduces lateral tire scrub but which is inherently resistant to rolling forces.

WILLIAM SOMERV'IILE RENWICK. ALBERT SYDNEY ENEVER. 

